Google’s John Mueller says markdown pages serve a specific purpose for developer documentation sites, but won’t help most websites even if search becomes more agentic.
Mueller outlined his reasoning in a Blue Sky Yarn. He was responding to a question from Lily Ray about why Google publishes LLMs.txt files and markdown pages, even though they are not necessary for search performance.
His answer focused primarily on markdown versions of the developer’s documentation, not llms.txt as a standalone file.
Mueller wrote:
“The short answer is that it’s not for search. There’s more to websites than just SEO :-).”
Mueller’s discovery v. Feature Framework
His reasoning focuses on two different purposes of the website.
He called the first “discovery,” or being found through a search engine, and the second “feature,” which helps users accomplish tasks on the page.
Mueller acknowledged that the term was not precise. “There is probably a more precise term for this,” he wrote in the thread.
He compared this distinction to calls to action on traditional pages, stating:
“You’re not doing them for SEO (to get found), but if you’re responsible for the website as a whole, ensuring a high ‘discovery rate’ (SEO) as well as a high conversion rate is helpful in justifying your work.
Why Developer Documents Are Different
On Developers.google.com, he noted, markdown versions make sense.
Mueller said:
“AI coding has become very popular, and these coding systems can be (I think) efficient and accurate with the code they produce if they can easily read/analyze reference material, such as developer documentation.”
He added that markdown can help AI systems “understand the context of the documentation they’re looking at, as well as a simplified version of the reference page.”
Mueller called this a workaround rather than a long-term need, adding:
“OF COURSE, they can read HTML really well, so I think it’s more of a temporary crutch, maybe to save a few chips.”
Non-developer sites should ignore it
For everyone else, Mueller was blunt, stating:
“For non-developer sites, I don’t think this makes much sense, even with more agent traffic in the future. Doing a markdown version of a shoe’s specs won’t get you more sales (competitors like it though).”
He went further in a follow-up article, pushing back on the idea that sites should prepare for a future where agents drive more traffic.
Mueller added:
“And (I know, no one has read this far), if you think it’s important to prepare when agents are everywhere: your site (all sites) has far more important SEO things to do than prepare for a potential future situation that may or may not happen. Prioritize needs over dreams.”
Why it matters
Mueller’s comments show a more detailed position than his previous statements on the subject.
In February, Mueller called the idea of serving markdown pages to bots “a stupid idea.” His comments on Bluesky make an exception for developer documentation while holding the line for any other type of site.
The thread also arrived the same day we reported that Google’s advice on llms.txt now depends on the product you request. Google’s Generative AI Optimization Guide says to ignore llms.txt, while Lighthouse 13.3 added an experimental audit that checks the file as part of preparing for agentic browsing.
Looking to the future
Mueller’s distinction between discovery and on-page functionality can help you evaluate whether agentic optimization is worth it. The test is whether agent creation is currently producing measurable results for a specific site.
The phrase “prioritizing needs over dreams” reflects a broader tension in the industry right now. The sellers were promotion of llms.txt and optimization of markdowns as emerging practices, but neither Google’s research documentation nor independent data supports investment in these practices for non-developer sites.
Featured Image: Kirill_makarov/Shutterstock
